History of Ayutthaya - Temples & Ruins

WAT NGIO (วัดงิ้ว)

Wat Ngio or the Monastery of the Cotton Tree was located off the city island in the
northern area of Ayutthaya in Khlong Sra Bua Sub-district, Moo 6.

The site can be accessed via the road running parallel with Khlong Hua Ro. Wat Ngio
stood on the west bank of the old Lopburi River, a bit further north of Wat Khruttharam
on the opposite side of the road in an area called Thung Kaeo. The temple was just
south of the confluence of Wat Khlong Sra Bua and the old Lopburi River.

Traces remaining are some shattered bricks. Villagers are presently living on the
premises of the former temple.

This temple could also have been known under the name of Wat Thorani. My
reasoning for this is based on the following points:

In the Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace we find the
following text: บ้านริมวัดธรณีเลื่อยกระดานไม้งิ้วไม้อุโลกขาย translated as The
village next to Wat Thorani sold sawn cotton and bridal couch tree timber. (1) [1]

Thung Kaeo or Crystal Field is bordered on the west and north by Khlong Sra Bua; on
the east by Khlong Hua Ro and in the south by Khlong Mueang. Wat Thorani should be
located in Thung Kaeo, as it was an element of one of the seven villages named in the
text and being situated in that specific field (ทุ่ง).

The text in reference is given in a certain order and the villages are summed up
clockwise. Wat Thorani follows after Wat Khrut, today called Wat Khruttharam (2).
Wat Phrao follows after Wat Thorani. We can as thus conclude that Wat Thorani should
have been situated between Wat Khrut and Wat Phrao. Wat Ngio does.

The sawing of timber is a local economic activity. Often a temple is named (or renamed)
after a specific activity in its immediate area. May be a bit far sought, but the monastery
could have been called after the timber which was sold in that area i.e. wood of the
cotton tree. (3)

The monastery is indicated on 1974 and 1993 Fine Arts Department (FAD) maps.

Wat Ngio was located in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 45.18" N, 100° 33' 29.35"
E.

Footnotes:

(1) ต้นงิ้ว: Cotton tree or Bombax ceiba (kapok) / ต้นอุโลก: Hymenodictyon orixense
or Bridal couch tree.
(2) In Sanskrit the suffix "taram" (Th: ธาราม ) is used for the comparative degree or
often having also a merely intensive value. [2]
(3) It was unlucky to grow the red silk cotton tree in the house compound. This type of
tree has soft wood of no economic value. In former days large cotton trees were utilized
as coffins, because of the soft wood that could be dug out easily for the purpose. [3]

References:

[1] Phanna phumisathan Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya: Ekasan jak Ho Luang -
Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace - Dr Vinai
Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 87.
[2] Sanskrit grammar: including both the classical language, and the older dialects, of
Veda and Brahmana - William Dwight Whitney (1975) - Harvard University Press.
[3] Some Siamese Superstitions about Trees and Plants - Phya Anuman Rajadhon
- JSS Vol 49.1 - 1961 - page 60.4